Sick / Fungus or open wound?

doncampbell said:
He doesn't move much at all.....No UVB light....that is why I put him in the sun today....and yesterday (how much sunlight per day?)... oh, and he is hiding under a torn up egg carton (fiber kind).
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Looks like there are a lot of things that should be changed... the lack of UVB is serious - the cham cannot synthesize Vit D3 necessary for calcium metabolism without it; the glass aquarium is just not ok, because chams need air circulation; a chameleon cage (a screen one) should be taller than it is wider, since they are arboreal lizards and do not (should not) spend time on the ground; abundant foliage and branches for climbing and hiding should be available...
 
Dude, that is not a good setup for a chameleon. No Uv light? Not many climbing branches, not be pesimistic, but under those conditions your chameleon will not last long.
 
Oh lord, that chameleon looks in horrible shape from what I can see in that pic where he is laying next to the rock. EVERYTHING is wrong in that set up. Everything! Please post some pics of him. Move him out from what he is under an take some pictures. He probably is near death with serious MBD considering no UVB light and such. How long have your neighbors had him in this condition? It is not your fault if he dies. It is from their previous neglect and not educating themselves properly in the care of chameleons. Right now, if that is a wound(did you try and remove it, as I suggested to see if it was poop)that is the least of your worries. Getting him out in the sun as much as possible will help but if he has MBD(Metabolic Bone Disease) he is going to need to be seen by a vet that is versed in chameleons and he will need calcium injections for starters.
 
Also, how are you providing water? They do not drink from bowls if that is what is in the corner. He is probably seriously dehydrated on top of everything else. You can try taking an eye dropper and drip water slowly on his nose to see if you can stimulate him to drink. Do not drop water direct into his mouth as he could aspirate it into his lungs.
 
He definitely has severe MBD, you can see it in the pics, that is so sad :( please take all Carol's suggestions, he needs calcium shots right away.
 
In one of the pictures it looks like the chameleon has MBD. If so...it needs to be corrected by giving extra calcium and making sure that other nutrients are in balance. Once the imbalance is corrected and the bones, etc. are strong again the supplementing, UVB, gutloading, etc. need to be done correctly to keep it from coming back. See further down in this post.

The quickest way to correct it is to get a vet to give it injections of calcium until the blood calcium levels are high enough to give it a shot of calcitonin to draw the calcium rapidly back into the chameleon's system.

Here's some information I hope will help you with supplements, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it.

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

I can't be sure what the wound is...but I have seen tumors in panther chameleons that look similar to that. You need a vet to look at the chameleon.

Lights should not be on at night and unless the temperatures drop into the mid 60's at night there is no need for extra heat. It definitely needs a UVB light and the light should not pass through glass or plastic. What is the temperature in the warmest area of the cage the chameleon can sit in ? (I notice that the light isn't over the branches which may or may not be a bad thing. If it would make the temperature too hot where the chameleon could sit then it would not be good. However if the chameleon can't get warm enough, that is not good either.) Temp in the rest of the cage?

In over 20 years of keeping reptiles, in spite of the claims that they carry slamonella, I have only had it show up in the autopsy of one chameleon. Just be sure to wash your hands after handling the chameleon and not touch other things when you are handling the chameleon and there should be no problem.
 
I feel bad for this cham :( but it isnt really this doods fault this isnt something that happens in a couple days, your neighbors should of definitely done more research.
 
jcarlo17 said:
I feel bad for this cham :( but it isnt really this doods fault this isnt something that happens in a couple days, your neighbors should of definitely done more research.
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We know that, and I have pointed that out. I feel very bad for the chameleon also. What a horrible life he/she has had so far.
 
Poor chameleon. The owner definitely needed to do more research before owning a chameleon. I hope the best for the little guy
 
poor thing. Its prob not the owners, or the care givers fault. I'm sure the store they bought it from gave them the setup and care info.
 
ktravelet said:
poor thing. Its prob not the owners, or the care givers fault. I'm sure the store they bought it from gave them the setup and care info.
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It is unfortunate that stores give out improper information, but it is the owner's responsibility to do their own research and do what is best for their animal....
 
Draco1702 said:
It is unfortunate that stores give out improper information, but it is the owner's responsibility to do their own research and do what is best for their animal....
Click to expand...

I agree. With the internet available to just about everyone there is really no excuse.
 
I'm pretty sure he is not coming back. Sorry, but I'd also be a little intimidated to return and respond after reading some of the responses (despite acknowledging that he is not the owner and didn't cause this).

Seems he just doesn't want this Cham to " die on his watch ". The owner is probably back and this Cham's faith may be sealed.:(
 
Thank you so much for seeking help form the forum with the Chameleon that you are sitting for. How long before the owners get back home?. I am hoping soon so they can get a better setup for the Chameleon and also get him to the vet to be treated for MBD and a health checkup.

First off I would like to say I am not a Veterinarian, but I was a technician and I dealt with alot of non reptile wounds on pets. That being said, I would be careful about putting peroxide on the wet tissue looking area... as peroxide can kill good as well as bad tissue. Even poop can have some bubbling with peroxide. Saline solution would be much better. If you can, take a damp Q-tip (if it is dry the fibers of the Q-tip could attach to whatever the tissue looking thing is and could end up pulling the tissue doing more damage to a wound) roll the damp Q-tip to the edge of the wound and see if it will lift away from the skin. In one of the close up photos it looks like I can see normal skin under the wet tissue looking area. If it is something odd attached to the poop/urate (the white stuff is urate or otherwise urine) you might be able to lift it or wipe it off after you determine whether it is attached to the skin or just sitting on it. Hopefully it will just wipe off. If it is attached then it needs to see a vet ASAP. That is what it really needs for its other medical needs.

Please encourage the owners to join the forum so that they can be taught proper care and needs of the Chameleon. There are many knowledgeable members on this forum and they are passionate about the care of Chameleons. Please give us an update as we care and want to help.
 
Either the guy got scared off or he's done pet sitting or worse case scenario, the cham has passed on. I hope he isn't just scared off, he could really use the help. That cham's husbandry is seriously pathetic, I feel horrible for it and wish there was something I could do.
 
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